This year’s first edition of The Manufacturer magazine for 2026 is out now and available online. This issue highlights a UK industry defined by technological disruption and strategic growth, while celebrating the future workforce, the sector’s resilience and diversification.
This issue leads with a sit-down with Professor Chris Dungey of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to discuss manufacturing’s new AI champion. Our cover story features Bacardi, which reveals how it is utilising innovative methods to track the “angel’s share” and improve efficiency in spirits production.
We also celebrate the industry’s top talent, featuring an interview with Rolls-Royce’s Alexia Williams, the 2025 Young Manufacturer of the Year winner and a look back at all the winners of the Manufacturer MX Awards. Following the theme of the future workforce, we take a peek inside the Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s STEM workshops and at the innovative products helping manufacturers that won the 2025 Smart Tank pitching event at Smart Manufacturing Week.
Other highlights include a 2026 economic outlook from Lloyds Banking Group and a report from the Food and Drink Federation on capitalising on a £14bn growth opportunity. You will also find stories on the digitalisation of Finsbury Food Group, the evolution of 21st-century brick manufacturing with Forterra, and a glance at the UK’s aerospace sector.
The SME Focus section highlights agility and diversification across smaller firms. Storage manufacturer Bisley discusses filing for the future, while Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd and Wisla Narrow Fabrics Limited showcase how process innovation and weaving are driving their respective growth journeys.
Thank you to all of those who contributed including Joe Bush, Tom St John, James Devonshire, Molly Cooper, David Atkinson, Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng, Lucy Wills, Katherine Solomon, Georgina Phillips CDLP, Aaron Cheeseman, David Manley, Caroline Keohane, Taahir Patel, Angus Holmes, Niccolò Corsini, Keith Gallant, Chris Fowler, Richard Costin, Emma Hockley, Tom Judge, and Edward Kozaczek.
Read it now, online and on-the-go. Explore the full edition here: The Manufacturer Q1 2026
For future updates on The Manufacturer Magazine, visit our Leadership channel.
